Poweshiek co birds

[Bob & Connie]

Checked Rock Creek Sunday, had only a few ducks and geese, 10 ruddy ducks, 20 common mergansers, 4 hooded mergansers, American widgeon, mallards, and buffleheads.  Had about 300 ring-billed gulls and 4 cormorants.  Pond NW of lake had 150 snow geese, 400-500 whitefronts, 8 cormorants, 50 plus ringnecks, lots of lesser scaup, mallards, and gadwalls.  Had 1 lone swan probably  a trumpeter but too far out to positive ID.   Robert Van Ersvelde    Grinnnell

[Bob & Connie]

Had FOY turkey vulturees over Grinnell.   Bob Van Ersvelde   Grinnell

[Bob & Connie]

Sunday at the feeders had purple finches, a lone fox sparrow, eurasian collared-doves, red-headed woodpeckers and the regulars.  At Rock Creek  Lake had 300-500 ring-bill gulls, no geese other than a few Canadians, lesser scaup, bufflehead, mallards, American mergansers, green and blue-wing teal, and shovelers, and several red-breasted mergansers.  At the pond NW of the lake had lots of lesser scaup, ringnecks, mallards, buffleheads, and about 10 redheads.   Bob Van Ersvelde    Grinnell

[Bob & Connie]

Here is a feel good bird story.  Last spring in April a local great-horned owl nest was blown out of the tree during a storm.  A local citizen, Greg Stempian, knew of the nest and the youngster predicament. came to us, we found the young owl, built a nestbox and installed it about 15-18 ft. high near the old nest.  Placing the youngster in the new box, the young owl was accepted by the adults luckily.  It fledged about 3-4 weeks later, success!  Well, Greg has been monitoring the nestbox this winter and spring.  The owls once again claimed the box, laid at least 2 eggs and last week hatched 2 young!  Greg will continue to watch the progress using a telescoping mirror we made.  Surprising and wonderful!  Bob Van Ersvelde   Grinnell

[Bob & Connie]

Was at Lake Rathbun for half day, had 25-30 red-breasted mergansers, 10 buffleheads, 6- 10 gadwalls’’, many white pelicans, and many ring-bill gulls.    Bob Van Ersvelde  Grinnell

[Bob & Connie]

Rock Creek Lake had 2 breeding plumage common loons, group of 9 great blue herons, green-winged teal, gadwalls, mallards, lesser scaup, ringneck ducks, hooded mergansers, American mergansers. wood ducks, ruddy ducks, and 2 pied-billed grebes.  Hundreds of ringbilled gulls, maybe up to a 1000.  At home around feeders have fox sp. towhee, purple finches, and 2 red-headed woodp.   Bob Van Ersvelde     Grinnell

[Bob & Connie]

Had several FOY hermit thrushes in timber on Fri.   Bob Van Ersvelde    Grinnell

[Bob & Connie]

Rock Creek Lake had 10 white pelicans, 5 common loons, 200-300 snow geese, several great blue herons, couple of pied-billed grebes, hundreds of coots, 500 plus of ring-billed gulls (most I;ve ever seen at RC Lake), lesser scaup, green-winged teal, blue-winged teal, shovelers, mallards, ruddy ducks, ringneck ducks, 50 plus common mergansers, 20+ red-breasted mergansers, and 10+ hooded mergansers.  Bob Van Ersvelde   Grinnell    PS  At home had purple finches, red-heads, and a flyby hermit thrush.  Also had a male pheasant and 1 female.

[Bob & Connie]

Had FOY phoebe and golden-crown kinglet.  Also had 1st 4 snow trilliums in bloom.   Bob Van Ersvelde     Grinnell

[Bob & Connie]

Rock Creek Lake had 50+ white pelicans, lots of cormorants, 40+ red-breasted mergansers, few common mergansers, hundreds of ringbilled gulls, pied-billed grebes, a few whitefront geese, and at least 11 common loons.  At home under feeders had FOY harris sparrow, FOY white-throated sparrow, 3 fox sparrows.  Along road had male harrier hunting and a lone male bluebird.   Bob Van Ersvelde     Grinnell

[Bob & Connie]

Sunday afternoon Rock Creek Lake still had 1 white pelican, at least 9 common loons, lots of ruddy ducks, 1 pair of common mergansers, 20+ red-breasted mergansers, shovelers, bluewing teal, great egrets.   Bob Van ERsvelde   Grinnell

[Bob & Connie]

Have had a single broadwing hawk for 4-5 days by the timber.  This morning had a good views of a late rough-legged hawk over the prairie.  Had a single junco still at feeders along with the usuals.    Bloodroots are blooming, dutchmans just starting along with marsh marigolds.  Raddishs and asparagus are up – spring must be here.   Bob Van Ersvelde   Grinnell